The American Left (embodied by Bernie “Feel-the-Bern” Sanders) and Right (represented by Donald “The Donald” Trump) are what I variously refer to as the Sandrumps or the Trumpanders. Why? Because they sound increasingly alike in their analysis that everything that is wrong with America, and especially manufacturing, can be laid at the feet of nasty foreigners and their quislings in the US political class who have sold the US out in various trade deals. Their solution: Buy America and higher barriers against foreign goods and services.
In my 18th April column for the Globe’s ROB I take on this data-free xenophobia with a detailed review of what the facts actually tell us, namely that 1) America has never made more things before; 2) manufacturing employment has fallen because US manufacturing is getting stronger and more productive, not weaker; 3) offshoring results in more employment and investment in the US; 4) that manufacturing is not the place to look for higher levels of “value added” and 5) that US consumers and voters understand that free trade means lower prices and higher standards of living for them.
Take that, Trumpanders.
